Decades ago, parents had to be present everywhere at once to ensure the safety of their children. They could not imagine that over time, technology would make it possible to control their location. And spy gadgets have nothing to do with it, it is enough to have a simple smartphone, enabled GPS and a special application. Today, owners of Android and IOS gadgets do not face the problem of how to track the location of a child through a phone. Modern technologies provide new and simple ways to take care of children without wasting time and effort, saving you time and nerves.
Varieties of childcare services
Parental controls require at least two devices - one for you and one for your child. Today, for owners of gadgets on Android and IOS, there are many ways to track a child's phone:
- Mobile applications - AppStore, GooglePlay and other resources have a huge catalog of such software. It is installed on a PCsmartphone or tablet and is configured with the desired parameters. After installation, the program begins to collect information about the location and activities of the child and send notifications to parents. Developers often provide an emergency communication function through the application so that children can immediately sound an alarm. In some cases, fees apply for additional traffic consumption and premium version of the service.
- Through the services of cellular communication providers - in this case, installation of third-party software is not required. Among the advantages of this tracking method are the accuracy of geolocation and the speed of data transfer, which is provided thanks to mobile towers. Such services will be valuable for people who do not use modern gadgets. The disadvantage of this method may be its price, which depends on the operator and tariff.
Great competition among providers and developers has given users a dozen alternative ways to keep track of their little ones. Comparative review will help you choose the best option.
Family GPS tracker KidControl
The KidControl program puts the whole family on the pulse by solving the problem of how to track a child's Android phone. The platform has the following features:
- Display the locations of your relatives in real time on the map. Accurate data allows fathers and mothers to make sure that the child is safe and sound. Saving the history of movement and Push notifications will not let you miss importantevents.
- Battery charge control. Teenagers often shrug off communication with their parents, justifying themselves with a dead battery in their phones. To believe or not is a personal matter, but it is not in vain that people say "trust, but verify." Through your device, you can see the state of charge of someone else's device, and battery statistics will show when it was charged, when it was disconnected from the power supply, and how intensively it was used. This will help both track the child's phone and better learn about his activity and detect possible suspicious activities (for example, too active use of the device at night).
- Geofences. In KidControl, you can define the area where the child is allowed to move. When crossing the established border, a notification is sent to the devices of relatives. Such a function will fit both for protection purposes and for discipline control.
- SOS signal. Today it is difficult to imagine how to track a child without a phone as quickly and efficiently as possible. There are times when it is impossible to write a message or call, but it is necessary to report an emergency. When the built-in alarm button is pressed, all registered family members will receive an alarm.
You can also monitor children's phones from a desktop computer, while having an application installed on a smartphone. To log in, just use the login and password from the KidControl application.
FindMyKids
The application is similar to KidControl: through it you can alsotrack the child's phone, and set zones on the map, send SOS signals and view the activity history. But there are also important noticeable differences, for example:
- The app is free to download, but you will have to pay after 3 days of trial.
- The sound around is a distinctive feature of the service. A parent can listen to and record environmental sounds through his offspring's phone without his knowledge. The children may not like it, but the parents will make sure that the children are not under the bad influence.
- Different modes: parent and child.
- Turning on the loud signal - helps to hear the phone if it is difficult to find. Also, no one can ignore such a signal.
Lighthouse
The feature of the application is its user interface. Its design is modern and refined. It connects almost all the functionality of the above platforms, but at the same time it requires expenses from the wallet (about 169-219 rubles). In addition to smartphones, the application supports the connection of various accessories, such as fitness bracelets and smart watches. It also has an analogue of the wiretapping function from FindMyKids called "Silent call".
Mom knows
The service has a nice minimalistic interface and easy navigation. It does not have unique features, it attracts users with its simplicity and other advantages:
- Cross-platform - works not only oniPhones and Android smartphones, but also on Windows.
- Saving Internet traffic and power consumption.
For full functioning, you need to download 2 applications: "Mom Knows" for parents and "Mom Knows: GPS Beacon" for children.
Life360 - family locator
The service is considered to be the leader among analogues. The number of installations on GooglePlay and AppStore has crossed the bar of 10 million users. The founders of this resource position themselves more as a social network for communication between relatives and friends or an “online cabinet” for the family, rather than a device for espionage. This product is known all over the world and offers the following original features:
- “Already at home” - family locator notifies users when one of the household members returns home, which allows you to prepare for a welcome meeting.
- Life360 users can form a "family circle". Access to the data of such members is only available to members of the circle. Information leakage is excluded. You can also create circles for colleagues and friends.
- Finding a lost or stolen phone.
- "Panic" is an emergency message with one peculiarity: you do not need to have money on your balance to send it.
- Display nearest emergency rooms (hospitals, police stations).
- Family channel - for group correspondence between close users, users can create special conferences. Thus, the application can replace instant messengers.
Life360distributed according to the Freemium model - a shareware format. Installation and use are free, and those who need additional features have to pay $5 per month. It is worth noting that most paid features are not available outside the United States, so subscribing may not be the best solution.
How to track a child by phone number: mobile operators
The importance of mobile operators today is invaluable. The rapid development of Internet technologies today makes it possible to both track a child on a mobile phone and use the services of mobile operators for this purpose:
- MTS: "The child is under supervision." Tracking information comes via SMS notifications or directly to a PC and other gadgets. The cost of a monthly subscription is 100 rubles, there is a two-week trial version.
- Tele2: Geosearch. Notifications are received via USSD requests or when installing a proprietary application. Price - 3 rubles per day with three trial days.
- Megaphone: Radar. Messages about the movement can be viewed on a special website or via SMS. For the service you have to pay 3 rubles daily. You can connect additional phones, for each new number 1 ruble is added to the main payment.
- Beeline: "Coordinates". The service will cost 1.7 rubles per day, the first 7 days are free. Information about moving can be obtained by sending a message to 4770.
As you can see, not only applications that allowdetermine the location of the child, are an effective means of monitoring and ensuring safety.
Via iCloud
In the settings you need to find the Apple ID category, then select the iCloud section and turn on the Find My iPhone and Last Location functions. Through the main settings, you can prohibit changes that would allow the child to disconnect from surveillance.
By logging into your account through a browser, you can see the location of interest. Before that, you need to click the "Find iPhone" icon on the phone's main screen.
Via Google account
In the search bar of the Play Market, you must enter the phrase "Find a device." There is an application from Google that you need to download. In the program, you need to enter the child's account information and enable geolocation in the settings menu. The Google Device Finder site will display the location on a map.
Cope with how to track a child through the phone, every parent can. And there are plenty of ways to do this. Which one to choose, everyone decides for himself. The main thing is to always keep in touch with loved ones in order to be calm for their safety.
